Hansard

I thank members across the chamber for supporting my motion in order that this important debate, which highlights the need for a £35 million centre for sustainable brewing and distilling to be built at Heriot-Watt University, could take place. I welcome to the public gallery senior members of the Heriot-Watt University team behind the project.

Scotland’s brewing and distilling sectors are huge economic drivers. Scotch whisky exports were worth £5.4 billion in 2024—the equivalent of 44 bottles a second, or 1.4 billion bottles a year, being exported from Scotland to more than 160 markets around the world. Our distilling sector supports about 41,000 jobs, which is 90 per cent of all distilling jobs in Britain. Beer sales in Scotland total about £428 million, which supports the brewing sector to employ 8,000 people in Scotland in more than 120 breweries, ranging from large industrial breweries to independent craft brewers.

There is a clear and well-documented need for a new centre that is dedicated to sustainable brewing and distilling in Edinburgh, driven by increasing industry demand for environmental innovation, reduced carbon emissions, a transition to clean energy and the implementation of circular economy practices, plus evolving green regulations and the legacy of Heriot-Watt University’s leadership in the sector.

Given the importance of the brewing and distilling sectors to Scotland’s economy, it is only right that we have a state-of-the-art facility that is fit for the 21st century and will support the sectors to continue to grow and expand. Since 1903, Heriot-Watt University has trained generations of brewers and distillers, which has contributed to the success of brewing and distilling not only in Scotland but across the continents of Europe, the Americas and Asia.

In 1989, the university established the world-leading international centre for brewing and distilling, which was founded by Sir Geoff Palmer, the university’s late chancellor, who sadly passed away earlier this year. The inspirational leadership continues to this day, with Professor Dawn Maskell, the director of the centre, winning the award for mentor of the year last month at the inaugural women in beer awards.

It is no great surprise, therefore, that many of today’s best-known Scotch whisky master distillers and brewers—including BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie; Kirsty Black, master distiller at Arbikie Highland estate; and David Wilkinson, head distiller at Edinburgh Gin—studied at that existing facility.

The proposed new resource is a 21st-century upgrade of the existing centre. It is a fitting legacy for Sir Geoff, as it is envisaged that it will include a living laboratory for circular low-carbon production, a pilot-scale test bed for greener processes and a sensory analytics hub with flavour mapping supported by artificial intelligence to halve concept-to-launch timelines. The new centre will embrace the latest green technologies and sustainable practices, thereby ensuring that the university continues to lead the world in securing a future for both industries.

In my time as the MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, I have seen the power of training and education in transforming lives. The centre will provide students, apprentices and professionals with the training that they need and will bridge the gap between the classroom and innovative industry. There will be new scholarships in honour of the late Sir Geoff Palmer to widen participation and diversify talent, new online master of science programmes, the growth of graduate apprenticeship partnerships and pathways, and executive education and continuing professional development, all aligned to industry demand.

It will come as no surprise to members that I support Heriot-Watt University’s proposal to establish the new centre here in Edinburgh. It is more than just bricks and mortar; it is an investment in skills, innovation and community, and in Scotland’s global reputation.

We all know about the heritage of brewing and distilling in Scotland: the whisky, the craft beers, the centuries of craftsmanship and the export successes. We also know that, in an increasingly competitive global market, heritage alone is not enough—we must combine that heritage with high-end research, innovation in processes, sustainability and training for the next generation of experts. Heriot-Watt University’s proposed centre offers precisely that: a place where tradition meets innovation, where our distillers and brewers can pioneer new techniques, where our students are equipped with world-leading expertise and where Scotland continues to show global leadership in the sector.

The vision for a new centre comes at a time when the brewing and distilling sectors are committed to decarbonising operations by 2040; the industry is facing extended producer responsibility fees for packaging; and market access is improving, especially in India, where the lowering of tariffs has strengthened the export case for higher-value, low-carbon products. The industry recognises those challenges and opportunities, which is why Diageo and Carlsberg Britvic both back the university’s vision to deliver groundbreaking, sustainable processes and a highly skilled workforce.

The project will have huge benefits for Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland, first of all in jobs. The new centre will support roles not only in academia but in industry partnerships, supply chains and production, and young Scots will have the opportunity to build careers here, so we will keep talent local. The second benefit relates to research and innovation. By placing state-of-the-art labs, pilot plants and testing facilities in Edinburgh, we will create a hub where companies and researchers can collaborate. Through that, we can enhance productivity, reduce costs, improve sustainability and strengthen Scotland’s competitive edge. To achieve that, we need everyone, from the drinks industry to policy makers, whether at local, Scottish or United Kingdom levels, to get behind the fundraising effort by Heriot-Watt University to realise the vision.

In Scotland we have many strengths—our heritage, our craftsmanship, our natural resources and our global brand—but, if we have strength without renewal, we risk being overtaken. Heriot-Watt University proposes renewal rooted in tradition, reaching for innovation and opening doors for our young people, for industry and for our communities. Let us seize the opportunity and build a centre of excellence in brewing and distilling in Edinburgh that is fit for the 21st century—one that honours our past, equips our present and secures our future.